Hotel Matsuya SenSen in Awara Hotspring is one of my favorite onsen hotels in Fukui. The onsen bath here is large, luxurious, and well-equipped with a spacious dressing area. Actually, it is the largest in the Hokuriku region (which includes Fukui, Ishikawa and Toyama prefecture). The rooms are spacious and clean, and to top it all off, the price is very reasonable at about ¥13,000 -15,000 per night per person, including two meals.
However, when I stayed here this time, another aspect of the hotel gave me a pleasant surprise. Their service is really good! From the staff assigned to our rooms (we went as a group of four and stayed separately in two rooms) to the staff in the lobby, and in the onsen bath area –everywhere– they welcomed us with warm smiles and were always congenial. They even waved handkerchiefs to see us off in unison when we left the hotel. They amazed me at every turn during my stay, and since I am accustomed to the superb hospitality of Japanese high-quality service, you can guess how good they are!
The room I stayed was around 50㎡, with a bathroom, dressing/washing room with two wash basins, pantry etc., with dinner and breakfast brought in and prepared in the room, so that we could enjoy delicious dishes in private. While we were resting after each meal, the finished dishes on the table were taken care of like magic, by the hands of well-trained friendly staff. We felt like a king and queen, of course!
Other than the large onsen bath, spacious rooms and congenial staff, this hotel has a lot to see and enjoy. There is also a Japanese garden, western style courtyard, table tennis room, spa, swimming pool (July and August), mah-jong room, game room, etc., etc. There are pretty ornaments at every corner of the hotel, flowers, and traditional objects, etc. (For other photos, please see this photo essay)
You can also enjoy Japanese tea served in an authentic Japanese Tea House. It's free for the hotel's guests and I gave it a try! The tea master will tell you how to receive and drink tea served in front of you, so don't worry if you don't know how to drink it!
From JR Fukui Station, it takes about 15 minutes to arrive at JR Awara Onsen Station. From there, it's a 10 minute drive to the hotel. You can either take a taxi or ride in a free hotel shuttle bus available between JR Awara Onsen Station and the hotel by prior reservation (at 0776-77-2560).
